The Stonecutter

Once upon a time, there was a poor man who cut stones for a living. Every day, he went to the mountain, cut stone blocks, and sold them in the market. He was happy with his life.

One day, he passed by a rich man's house. He saw the rich man sitting comfortably in the shade, with servants bringing him food. The stonecutter sighed and said, “The rich man is better than me. If I were rich, I would be truly happy.”

The spirit of the mountain heard him and granted his wish. Suddenly, the stonecutter found himself in a beautiful house with servants bringing him food. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But after a few days, he saw the king's palace from his window. It was even bigger and more beautiful than his house.

“The king is greater than me,” he sighed. “If I were the king, I would be truly happy.”

Again, the spirit of the mountain heard him and made him the king. He sat on a grand throne, and many servants obeyed his every command. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But soon, the sun shone so brightly that he had to hide inside.

“The sun is stronger than I am,” he sighed. “If I were the sun, I would be truly happy.”

The spirit heard him once more, and suddenly, he was the sun, shining brightly over the earth. People hid from his heat, and he thought, “Now I will be truly happy.” But then, a cloud covered him, blocking his light.

“The cloud is stronger than I am,” he sighed. “If I were a cloud, I would be truly happy.”

The spirit of the mountain turned him into a cloud. He poured rain on the earth, and people ran to shelter. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But when he rained on the mountain, the mountain stood tall and strong, unaffected by the rain.

“The mountain is stronger than I am,” he sighed. “If I were a mountain, I would be truly happy.”

The spirit of the mountain made him into a mountain, tall and mighty. “Now I will be truly happy,” he thought. But soon, he noticed a stonecutter chipping away at him, cutting stones from his side.

“The stonecutter is greater than I am,” he sighed. “If I were a stonecutter, I would be truly happy.”

The spirit of the mountain heard him again and turned him back into a simple stonecutter. The man smiled and was thankful. From then on, he never wished to be anyone else, knowing that being himself was enough to be truly happy.